Amnesty International welcomes concern over removal of detainees

Amnesty International welcomed the concern expressed by Nick Hardwick, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, today, over the way people being forcibly returned to other countries are treated during removal.

Many of the concerns over the inadequate training of staff charged with chaperoning removals, echo those that Amnesty expressed in a report in July "Out Of Control: The case for a complete overhaul of enforced removals by private contractors"

Hardwick and his staff accompanied security staff and the detainees being removed from the UK to Nigeria and Jamaica. His report made reference to unnecessary restraint and abusive, racist language.

Amnesty’s Refugee Programme Director, Jan Shaw, said:

“A complete overhaul and reform of the current enforced removal process is required. The UK Government needs to meet its obligations to protect people being removed against human rights abuses. At the moment that is not happening.

“Reforms must drastically improve the training, monitoring, accountability and techniques employed during enforced returns. There must be no excuse for delay.”

Sources with direct working experience of enforced removals, have told Amnesty about serious failings in the training of private contractors conducting forced removals. Staff are trained in control and restraint techniques that are unsuitable.